


Torch

by Irelando



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen, bodhi appreciation week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 07:48:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10715250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irelando/pseuds/Irelando
Summary: Torch (n.)1. a light to be carried in the hand.2. something considered as a source of illumination, enlightenment, guidance, etc.see also: passing the torch.(aka: Poe takes Finn to meet one of his personal heroes.)





	Torch

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 한국어 available: [Torch [한국어 번역]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12289719) by [tyty_wars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyty_wars/pseuds/tyty_wars)



Finn’s midway through a bite of his breakfast when Poe suddenly drops into the seat across the table from him. “Morning, buddy!”

“Morning,” Finn says around the spoon in his mouth, eying his friend suspiciously. He’s only been awake for two weeks, but it only took him a few days to realize that Poe’s resting energy level was about three times most people’s. The pilot never seemed to run out of _go_. It was kind of awesome, actually.

But there’s something different this morning, something a little off. Poe looks like he’s about to jump right out of his seat at any moment. And, while he’s made a habit of eating breakfast with Finn, today he doesn’t have his usual tray.

Finn finishes chewing and swallows. His first instinct is to let it slide – questioning weird things (or, well, anything really) in the First Order is a good way to get sent to reprogramming. But he reminds himself that he’s in the Rebellion now. If anything, it seems like they’re always trying to get him to ask _more_ questions.

“Is… something going on?” he asks finally.

Poe grins. “I’m glad you asked.” He leans forward a little, a spark in his eye. “There’s someone coming in this morning that I think you should meet. A personal hero of mine.”

Finn blinks. The only one of Poe’s heroes he knows about is General Organa. If this new person is anything like her, they’ll be a confusing combination of intimidating and heartbreakingly kind. “Who is it?”

“I think it’ll be better as a surprise,” Poe says, then adds, “If that’s okay?”

He does that sometimes, checks in with Finn on kind of mundane things. Finn knows that if he says it’s not okay, that he wants to know, Poe will tell him without further argument. In light of that, he’s okay with a little suspense. “Okay,” he says agreeably. “When do I meet this mysterious hero?”

Poe beams.

As it turns out, it’s as soon as Finn’s finished his breakfast. He follows Poe across the base; he still can’t move as fast as he’d like, and his legs occasionally don’t want to do what he asks them to do (a byproduct of the damage to his spine, which the medics assure him will clear up with a few more treatments), but Poe never makes him feel like he’s too slow. The pilot keeps pace easily, chattering about his morning flight exercises with the rest of Black Squadron. Finn splits his focus between Poe’s face and making sure he doesn’t fall over.

Poe pauses only once, in the middle of a retelling of Pava cutting it a little too close to a satellite, to grin as BB-8 rolls up beside them. “Hey, bud. I was wondering when you’d show up.”

BB-8 whistles a greeting, bonks once gently into Finn’s leg, and they continue on.

They emerge onto the landing pad, and Finn pauses. He closes his eyes, enjoying the feeling of D’Qar’s crisp morning air across his face. The feel of the breeze on his skin is still a novelty after twenty years sealed in a suit of armor.

He opens his eyes to find Poe watching him, a smile playing around the pilot’s lips. Finn flushes a little. “Sorry, I—“

Poe shakes his head. “You don’t ever need to apologize for enjoying something,” he says, uncharacteristically serious.

Finn’s not sure what to say to that, so instead he points across the landing pad at the one ship he doesn’t recognize. “Is that…?”

Poe takes the cue. “It is. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

They start across the pad towards it. Finn squints in the morning sunlight, trying to make out the markings on the side. “What kind of ship is that?”

“A U-wing,” Poe says, “You don’t see them too much anymore.”

As they draw near, a tall, spindly form climbs out of the hatch in the side of the ship. Finn recoils a little. “That’s a—“

“That’s Kaytoo,” Poe says. He smiles reassuringly. “He was reprogrammed a long time ago. Now his bark’s way worse than his bite.”

Finn blinks. “He barks?”

They’re close enough now that the droid can hear them. He turns glowing eyes their way. Finn can’t help the instinctive rush of fear, having seen what those deceptively thin arms are capable of first hand, but he makes an effort to fight it down.

The droid – Kaytoo, Finn corrects himself inwardly, he has a name and it’s important to use it – nods to Poe. “Commander Dameron.” His eyes flicker to Finn. “Who are you?”

Finn beats him to the punch. “My name’s Finn.” He holds out a hand to the droid.

Kaytoo eyes it a moment, then reaches out and carefully takes hold. “I’m K-2SO,” he says. “I’m a reprogrammed Imperial droid.”

“We have something in common, then,” Finn says.

Kaytoo’s head tilts slightly to the side, but before he can say anything more, BB-8 trills a greeting from Poe’s other side. Kaytoo’s attention shifts, and to Finn’s astonishment, the droid actually _sighs_. “Oh. Hello.”

“Is this who you wanted me to meet?” Finn asks.

“Not quite,” Poe says.

As if on cue, a voice comes from inside the ship. “Kay, do you need any help getting those supplies to medical?”

“I’m perfectly capable of carrying a few boxes, thank you very much,” Kaytoo says frostily. He turns back to the ship and pulls a large crate from inside, hefting it easily.

BB-8 whistles something that sounds like a question.

“Yes, fine, come on then,” Kaytoo says. Then he strides off across the landing bay. BB-8 rolls beside him, whistling and beeping up a storm, clearly working hard to match the taller droid’s long stride.

Finn watches them go, eyebrows raised. When he turns back, the source of the voice has appeared from inside the ship.

He’s dressed much like any other Rebel, nondescript dark clothes under a vest with a slightly ludicrous number of pockets. A pair of pilot’s goggles perch on top of his head over greying black hair pulled back into a ponytail.

“Major,” Poe says, and reaches out to clasp the other man’s arm.

“That’s not my title anymore,” the man says, but he’s smiling as he says it. “It’s good to see you, Poe.” Then he turns curious brown eyes on Finn. “Who’s your friend?”

Poe steps back a little, turning to put a hand on Finn’s shoulder. “This is Finn. He used to be a Stormtrooper.” He turns to Finn. “Buddy, this is Major Bodhi Rook.”

And finally, with the name, the niggling sense of familiarity clicks into place within Finn’s hastily-constructed knowledge of the Rebellion’s history. Finn’s eyes widen. “You were in Rogue One. You’re the—“

“Pilot?” Bodhi says.

“Uh,” Finn says, “Actually, I was going to say defector.”

“Oh. Well, I’m that too,” Bodhi says.

“They still tell stories about you,” Finn blurts out. “Warnings, I mean. In the First Order.”

Bodhi looks taken aback. “Really? I… didn’t realize I’d made such an impression.”

“Wow, would you look at the time,” Poe says. “You okay if I take off, Finn?”

It’s not exactly subtle, but Finn finds he doesn’t mind. He’s suddenly got a hundred questions, and they’ll be easier to ask without an audience. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.”

Poe flashes them both a smile and heads off, looking pretty pleased with himself.

“You look like you have questions,” Bodhi says.

“I do,” Finn admits. “If you wouldn’t mind answering them, Major Rook. Uh. Sir?”

Bodhi smiles. “I appreciate the effort, but I didn’t really like the title even when I actually was one. Call me Bodhi.”

Finn smiles back. “Okay. Bodhi.”

\--

After a few minutes, Finn’s back starts to ache, so Bodhi invites him into the ship to sit down.

The Alliance records really don’t do Rogue One’s story justice, Finn discovers. Or maybe it’s just that all the good parts are redacted, but either way, he listens enraptured as Bodhi tells the tale. The whole thing is exciting, and unbelievable… but perhaps inevitably, the part Finn keeps coming back to is the very beginning.

“How did you decide to do it?” he asks into the silence after Bodhi finishes the story. “To leave, I mean.”

Bodhi pulls his goggles off so he can run his fingers through his hair thoughtfully. “I knew what the Empire was doing was wrong,” he says. “It took me… longer than it should have, to decide I had to do something about it.” He turns the goggles over in his hands. “To be honest, if Galen hadn’t given me the opportunity, I don’t know that I would’ve ever done it.”

“Were you afraid?” Finn asks.

Bodhi nods. “Terrified.”

Well, at least it’s not just Finn, then. “How did you go through with it?” Finn asks. He thinks back to Takodana.

Bodhi’s looking at him like he understands perfectly what’s going through Finn’s mind. “It was the right thing to do.” He smiles. “But you know that. It’s the same reason you left, isn’t it?”

“I almost gave up,” Finn blurts out. “On Takodana, I—I almost left Rey and Han and the Rebellion. I almost ran. I still think about it sometimes.”

“Why didn’t you?” Bodhi asks.

Finn spreads his hands. “They took Rey. She’s been—through a lot. I couldn’t leave her there with them.”

“So what did you do? Instead of running?”

Finn opens his mouth. Closes it again. “I, uh… went to Starkiller base to find her.”

Bodhi raises his eyebrows. “Sounds pretty brave to me.”

“But I was afraid,” Finn says. “The whole time.”

“Exactly.”

Finn pauses over that, puzzled.

Bodhi gives him a moment, then leans back against his seat. “So. You’re a Rebel now. What do you want to do?”

Finn tucks the bravery question aside to come back to later. “I’m not really sure,” he admits. “I’m decent with a blaster, but…”

“Can I give you a tip? Something it took me a while to learn when I came to the Rebellion?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Finn says.

“Let your friends help you.” When Finn blinks at him, puzzled, Bodhi continues, “The only thing I could do when I defected was fly cargo shuttles. I couldn’t fire a blaster, couldn’t throw a punch. Force knows I was an awful liar – still am, really – which was a problem considering we were _spies_.” He laughs a little. “I was a really bad Rebel. But my friends helped me. Whatever I wanted to learn, they were willing to teach. And somehow, we made it through.”

Finn imagines what would happen if he told Poe he wanted to learn how to fly, and can’t help but smile. “I think I see what you mean.”

Bodhi smiles back. “This was a good place for me. I think it will be for you, too.”

Finn thinks of Rey, and Poe, and BB-8, even people he doesn’t know as well yet like General Organa, Pava, Wexley, and the rest of Black Squadron. How welcoming they’ve been, even knowing where he came from.

“Yeah,” he says eventually, “I think you might be right.”


End file.
